There are many situations which require, for example, a multitude of items, tools, or pieces of equipment to be transported to a remote location. Often a truck or van is used to transport these items and then a person or person unloads and carries the items to the site where they are to be used. Afterwards the items need to be carried back to and loaded into the transport vehicle. This loading, unloading, and carrying can be very time and labor intensive. The subject invention relates to a mobile cart which can be used to save much of this time and labor. The subject cart can be utilized to facilitate the loading, unloading, and carrying of items in a variety of settings, including carrying tools, laundry, paints, electrical supplies, carpentry equipment, dry cleaning equipment, mobile office equipment, disc jockey equipment, landscaping equipment, or any other materials which are heavy and/or need to be frequently loaded and unloaded. In a specific embodiment, the subject cart can be utilized for transporting and serving food items.
In order to discuss the need for the subject cart, catering can be used to describe a specific application of the subject mobile cart. Currently, many catering services are asked to supply food, beverages, and utensils to a specific location, in order to feed a group of people. This often involves the preparation of hot and cold foods and beverages at a base location and the subsequent transportation and set-up of the foods and beverages at the specified location. Loading the foods and beverages into the transportation vehicle at the base location and unloading at the designated location can be labor intensive, for example involving numerous trips to and from the transportation vehicle. For foods which must be maintained either above or below the ambient temperature, apparatus for heating or cooling must also be provided. Accordingly, setting up and breaking down such heating and cooling apparatus requires additional labor.
To illustrate,a common catering process will be described. First,the food is prepared and then containerized. Often the containerized food needs to be placed in insulated transport containers to prevent heat loss, keep food cold, and/or prevent spoiling. Dinnerware, serving utensils, chafing dishes, condiments, and various other accompaniments are packed into boxes or loaded separately and placed into a delivery vehicle with the containerized foods. The food and other items are then driven to the customer""s location and unloaded, requiring numerous trips from the delivery vehicle to the feeding site. Folding tables can also be transported and set up in order to provide a platform to display chafing dishes which can be used to keep foods at or near a desired temperature. These chafing dishes are then filled with ice or water. Cold foods are placed in the iced chafing dishes and, after the water is heated, hot foods are placed on the water filled chafing dishes. After the customers have eaten, the food is then placed back in the containers for transport and loaded back into the delivery vehicle. Spills caused by handling and transportation are cleaned up. The remaining dinnerware, serving utensils, chafing dishes, condiments, and various other items are loaded up. The tables are broken down and loaded. If another customer at a different location is to be served, the entire process must be repeated.
Others have attempted to address some of the issues with respect to transporting foods and beverages to remote locations, transporting foods and beverages which must be kept hot and/or cold, and/or transporting foods and beverages into and out of office buildings, hospitals, and other places where people work and live. U.S. Pat. No. 2,982,578 (Lowe) discloses a truck with a built-in cafeteria-type service structure adapted to extend out of said truck for serving. Since this structure is designed to extend from the back of a truck there are limitations as to where it can be located. In particular, this structure is not capable of being taken inside many office buildings or other places where food is desired to be served. U.S. Pat. No. 2,309,513 (Kramer) discloses a serving wagon with wheels for mobile serving of hot and cold foods. This serving wagon is not designed for self-loading into a transportation vehicle. Accordingly, this serving wagon would be difficult to use for catering food to sites located a distance from the place where the food is prepared. U.S. Pat. No. 1,513,357 (Webber) discloses a portable food table with built-in wheels. This portable food table is not designed for self-loading into a transportation vehicle and, therefore would also be difficult to use for catering food to remote locations. U.S. Pat. No. 4,167,983 (Seides et al.) discloses an electric powered service vehicle. Again, this electric powered service vehicle is not designed for self-loading into a transportation vehicle and, even though self-propelled, is not designed for long-distance self-propulsion.
If a mobile cart existed which could be used to carry, for example, hot and/or cold foods and other associated items such that the cart could be loaded and unloaded from a transport vehicle while holding the food and associated items, caterers could save much time and labor by utilizing such a cart. The use of such a cart could enable catering of a greater variety of foods to many additional locations than is currently feasible. Likewise, such a mobile cart could be used in other settings to carry a variety of other items which need to be unloaded and carried, in order to save time and labor.
The present invention pertains to a mobile cart. The subject cart is designed to be easily loadable onto, and unloadable from, a raised platform, for example into and out of a transport vehicle. Preferably, the subject cart can be loaded by a single adult without strenuous labor. More preferably, the subject cart can be automatically loaded onto, and unloaded from, a raised platform, for example into and out of a transport vehicle. The subject cart can have a means, for example a set of wheels, for moving the cart on a ground surface. In addition, the subject cart is preferably self-propelled to minimize the labor involved with moving the cart on a ground surface, from one location to another, as well as assisting in loading and unloading the cart. The subject cart can be utilized for a variety of uses, including carrying tools, laundry, paints, electrical supplies, carpentry equipment, dry cleaning equipment, mobile office equipment, disc jockey equipment, landscaping equipment, or any other materials which are heavy and/or need to be frequently loaded and unloaded. The subject cart is particularly advantageous when materials must be transported in a vehicle and then unloaded and moved.
In a specific embodiment, the subject cart can be utilized as a catering cart for transporting and serving food and beverages. The subject cart can utilize a variety of heating and cooling apparatus for heating and/or cooling food stored in, and served from, the cart. Lift mechanisms can allow the caterer to raise and lower the food cart, which can assist in loading and unloading the subject cart from a transport vehicle. The subject cart can also provide storage areas for foods, beverages, and utensils. Advantageously, the subject invention can allow a caterer to (i) load the subject cart with hot and cold food; (ii) load the cart into a transport vehicle; (iii) transport the cart to the customer""s site; (iv) unload the cart from the transport vehicle; (v) quickly and easily transport the cart, containing hot and cold food, to the serving location; (vi) serve the customers; and (vii) quickly load the cart back into the transport vehicle and return to the caterer""s base of operation. A power source, for example batteries, may be utilized to supply the power needed for heating and cooling and for self-propulsion, if desired.
The subject invention relates to a cart which can be used for transporting foods/beverages and cooking/serving utensils. The subject cart can overcome many of the disadvantages of current catering practices, which are often cost prohibitive due to the labor involved, to enable efficient catering at remote locations. In particular, the subject cart can reduce the labor involved with respect to the transportation, setup, and breakdown of the food, utensils, food pans, heating and cooling apparatus. The subject cart can also reduce catering-related injuries, for example back injuries caused by the lifting and carrying involved in current catering practices.
The subject invention also pertains to a cart and transport vehicle system. This cart and vehicle system can include a cart, for example as described herein, which can self load into, and self unload out of, a vehicle. During loading, the cart can be guided into the vehicle by apparatus attached to the cart and/or installed within the vehicle. Examples of apparatus for guiding the cart include channels, cables, and tracks. Preferably, there is also a mechanism to prevent the cart from rolling backwards during the loading process. Once the cart is loaded into the vehicle, the system can include mechanisms for securing the cart such that the cart does not tip over or move around during the transport process. Examples of mechanisms for ensuring the cart does not tip over or move around within the vehicle include straps, cables, clips, locks on the wheels, channels, tracks, and ropes. Preferably, the cart and/or apparatus installed in the vehicle can load the cart into, and unload the cart from, the vehicle. In a specific embodiment, the apparatus included within the vehicle can be easily removed and reinstalled such that a single person can install and/or remove the apparatus.